Vader's obsession
by Starshavenosilverlineing
Summary: How did Vader find out about Luke's existence? What drove him to turn away from the dark side? This story attempts to flesh out Vader (no pun intended). This account is not cannon but is comprised of facts from Wookipedia and other star wars media. These characters are not mine, thank George Lucas and various authors of the EU.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any of these characters! Enjoy!

The man writhed at Vader's feet. His body contorted from the painful needle injections and lack of oxygen from the endless force choking.

Vader kept on forcefully prodding, like a hungry beast thirsting for flesh but instead Vader thirsted for information, Information about the one who had destroyed the death star, the once ultimate weapon of the empire, which was started over nineteen years before and destroyed in seconds by one lucky shot.

However, Luck, Vader knew, had no part. The rebel pilot who managed to exploit the death stars one weakness used the living force. Vader could feel , as he flew his tie past the towers of the death star, that this pilot was very strong in the force. He had no doubt that this was the boy that had been accompanied by his old master Obi- wan and was most likely being trained in the Jedi arts.

Vader's dark face mask was tinted orange with the Centares Reble's jump suit, reflecting the ferocity and ruthlessness that was anchored in his very core.

"I will ask you one last time…..What is the name of the rebel that destroyed the death star?" said Vader easing on the torture. The man's body relaxed, like that of a person on their death bed.

He, breathing his last, whispered in a harsh tone, barely audible, "Sky…..Wal…Kerrrr….".

The commander standing next to Vader in his stiff grey imperial uniform and gaunt pale face said "I believe he said "Skywalker", m'Lord" he paused, seeing that Vader barely moved since receiving the news and was simply staring at the dead man in front of him.

"Which makes sense m'lord, it is the same name we found on Tatooine, on the municipal records of a T-16 speeder which belonged to a 19 year old boy who resided with a family by the name of Lars, on a moisture farm". "Also, it matched the spy's report, that he was one of the passengers on the Millennium Falcon, with Princess Leia and the stolen plans".

Vader still just stood there. The very core of him, which was filled with so much vial hate and anger, began to feel something unbearable. The same pain crept forward that he believed he had diminished so many years before. This boy, this rebel, who was so gifted in the force, he had no doubt now, was the baby that Padmé carried in their last month's together. He had a son. The shock and absolute pain of padmé's death came rushing forward once more, making Vader stagger back from the body. The emperor had lied to him.

She had lived long enough to give birth, for all these many years he thought he had killed padmé and their unborn child, that he in his anger suffocated her, to the point she lay on that port on Mustafar and breathed her last. The scenes and memories of that day had plagued him from that day forth until he at some point managed to squelch them into the subconscious. However, now they came at him with full force. A new….., no old, feeling came forth, one he had not felt since the time of the clone wars. Love, so gentle and so soft, it was easily distinguishable from the other emotions which now ruled his entire being.

However, this emotion was easily squelched with hate. '_Obi Wan hid him from me'_, he thought anger rising, '_as long as this boy remains loyal to Obi Wan, he is an enemy of the emperors and of mine, but maybe I can turn him into an ally, overthrow the emperor and together we can rule the empire._ This simple thought sparked obsession in Vader, at all costs he was going to find his son.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke cried to him, "Father, Please!... Help me". Darth Vader looked at the emperor then back at Luke. A voice, flooded his mind mingling with Luke's screams, "Anakin please, help me!" she cried. Then before his eyes was the image of padme lying on that alien table.

He knew it was not a vision, but rather, he was seeing the past, what had transpired. There she lied, just exactly like in his nightmares, however, instead of the fear he once presumed he face had held, there was only deep sorrow.

He glanced behind him, in a glass observatory sat Yoda, Obi-Wan and Bale Organa. _They want her to die, _a dark voice said. _How can they do nothing?,_ he thought. _They hated you that much, _sneered the voice.

Anger shot forth as he examined the face of Obi-wan but, instead of the disapproving, judgmental glare he'd expected, Vader saw that his face was not much different than that of Padme's. It was filled with great sorrow and morning, as he accepted, slowly, the loss of his good friend and brother. Padme's cries made him turn back to her. The scanners in the room began to indicate her body was losing life. Obi Wan entered as the medical droids induced labor.

"Don't give up, Padme," said Obi-wan, placing his hand on hers and giving it slight pressure, almost as if to hold the life in her.

Padme rolled her head slightly, weakly saying "Is it a girl? Anakin thinks it's a girl". At this simple statement, Vader's heart caught.

"We don't know yet. You have to hold on,…. you have to stay with us", begged Obi-wan. The concern in Obi-wan's eyes was unbearable.

"If it's a girl, ….name her Leia", choked Padme. She cried as the first baby was removed from within her. Vader watched as his tiny infant son was placed into Obi Wan's arms. "it's a boy" said Obi Wan desperately trying to show padme her infant son and trying to give her a reason to live.

"Luke" she said brushing a finger over his brow. _Luke, _thought Vader_._ Suddenly another infant was brought forth, but Padme did not have the strength to see her and fell against a pillow.

The deep pain welled up once again in Vader as he looked into her face, the strength, that she had held so firmly to during life was slipping away. The truth of her death was even more painful than the lie.

"Anakin.." she said weakly, looking directly into his face, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry….Anakin, please, I love you…" He tried to grasp her hand, anything to keep her from once again leaving him.

Vader felt, the love that he had blackened and blocked begin to break forth from his heart. She had loved him, until the very last moment. Obi-wan, as well, had cared and loved Anakin immensely. His very words, "you were my brother Anakin, I loved you", seem to now wash over him with new meaning. Padme reached past him, placing the Japor snipit he had carved for her so many years before, into obi-wan's hands, "Obi-wan ….there…is still good in him. I know there …is…still", her last words.

Emotion overwhelmed Vader. This statement echoed the statement made by Luke on Endor, "I know there is still good in you, the emperor has not driven it from you fully".

It was as if the dam on his heart was bursting, he felt once familiar thoughts and feelings drive forth from the deepest caverns. In one instant he was no longer Darth Vader but Anakin Skywalker.

As the vision subsided, he grabbed the emperor from behind without a second thought, leaping before looking. He would not allow for Palpatine, the man he once trusted, to kill Padme's and his son. Every nerve left in his being now was subjected to the full force of the lightning.

The mechanical parts in his mask buzzed, Cogs and wheels whistled as they rotated at great speeds, enough to force Anakin's entirety to collapse. He though with the little connection of the force he had left, he maintained his composure, keeping the emperor above his head, until he releasing him into the reactor shaft.


End file.
